Tiltable boiling or bathing structure



United States Patent [72] lnventor Lars Gustaf Ekman Banergalan 17, Stockholm, Sweden [21 Appl. No. 716,452 [22] Filed March 27, 1968 [45] Patented Oct. 20, 1970 [32] Priority April 4, 1967 [33] Sweden [31 Nos. 4644/67 and 4645/67 [54] TILTABLE BOILING OR BATHING STRUCTURE 18 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 134/118, 4/176,4/185, 134/133, 134/165 [51] Int. Cl A47k 3/08, BOSb 3/04 [50] Field of Search 134/85,

178.185(L). 188. (disappearing bowl) Primary Examiner- Robert L. Bleutge AttorneyCushman, Darby and Cushman ABSTRACT: A boiling pan, a bathtub or a similar vessel for a heatable liquid is tiltably connected to a framework or the like. in its horizontal position the vessel embraces an inset rack or the like for boiling or immersing goods, e.g. boiling goods in piece form in boiling boxes, or a patient. The rack or a patient is carried either by carrier members projecting from said framework, or by a movable, preferably rollable stand. In the tilted position of the vessel the rack or the like is entirely exposed above the lower edge of the opening of the vessel, whereby the rack or the like may be horizontally loaded with immersion goods and a patient resting on the movable stand may be pushed in horizontally over said lower edgev Patented Get. 20, 1970 3,534,748

1[ a j 1 0L) /ii/ /////////////77/////////n jZ vf/v/a/e @QZLWM, IZZZWM Patented Oct. 20, 1970 Sheet 3 of 5 Patented Oct. 20, 1970 Sheet 5 of5 FIGS FIGJO w i y 2% Z V; r 3% w 5 1/ TILTABLE BOILING OR BATl-llNG STRUCTURE This invention relates to a structure in which a boiling pan, a bathtub or a similar vessel for a heatable liquid is tiltably connected to a framework or the like, the tilting axis extending adjacent to a surface defined by the opening of the vessel, preferably adjacent to a rear portion of the circumference of said opening.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a struc ture for easy and convenient loading of boiling or immersion goods or the like, which shall be boiled or immersed, in the water bath of a tiltable pan or another vessel, such as a bathtub, the quantity of water necessary for the boiling or immersion being contained in the vessel at the loading of the boiling goods or the like. The quantity of water in question varies, and it should not be below one third of the volume of the vessel at water of boiling goods in pieces which is suitably loaded into boiling boxes or baskets, while said volume e.g. in respect of a container in the form of a tiltable bathtub shall not be appreciably below half of the volume of the tub.

According to the state of art as evidenced by my British Pat. No. 691,082 such convenient horizontal loading may be carried out of a rockable inset rack provided in a vessel having a substantially half-cylindrical shape, but according to this known system the amount of water required according to the above can not be maintained in the vessel in its loading position. Furthermore, the said form of the pan or vessel is not suitable when the boiling goods is to be placed in ordinary boiling boxes which usually have parallelipipedical form, since the volume of the vessel is then poorly utilized simultaneously as an unfavourable soaking of the boiling goods takes place at water boiling. Finally, it is necessary to rotate the vessel comparatively much to expose the lower portion of the inset rack and permit horizontal loading, whereby the level difference for the extreme positions of the front edge of the vessel becomes considerable and in most cases disadvantageous from a practical point of view.

The present invention provides a purposeful solution of the problem in question whereby well-known drawbacks of the prior devices are eliminated in respect of the application to boiling of goods in piece form in boiling boxes as well as in respect of other applications, such as bathtubs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes and the like.

A structure according to the invention may be modified through varying the form of the pan or vessel, cover means, heating means, etc. and may hereby be used for other applications than the abovementioned ones, such as oil boiling, roasting or other forms of heating. it may also be applied to other immersion processes, such as cooling or water soaking.

The principal feature of the invention resides therein, that the vessel in its horizontal position embraces an inset rack or the like for boiling or immersion goods, e.g. boiling goods in piece form in boiling boxes, or a patient, said rack being carried either by carrier members projecting from said framework or by a movable, preferably rollable stand, and in that the rack or the like in the tilted position of the vessel is entirely exposed above the lower (front) edge of the opening of the vessel, whereby the rack or the like may be horizontally loaded with immersion goods and a patient resting on the movable stand may be pushed in horizontally over said lower edge.

The boiling pan or vessel may be provided with different heating means in dependence of the application of the vessel, which e.g. may be provided with a steam jacket as a boiling pan, or may have a single housing, electrical heaters being provided in the vessel which is then used for oil boiling or roasting. When applied to bathtubs, particularly for patients, the required hot water for maintaining the temperature of the bath water at a correct value may be supplied to the bottom of the tub from a tubular inset. Boiling goods in the pan and the patient in the tub respectively may also be heated by means of radiation elements or heaters, arranged in or at the vessel or tub. In a similar way steam may be introduced in the vessel etc.,whereby the structure if provided with a suitable cover of plexiglas or the like with ventilation orifices may operate as a moist or dry steam bath for a bath tub patient.

A further development of the invention is characterized in that said rack or similar carrier members are pivoted on an axis extending adjacent to a portion of the circumference of the opening of the vessel and at least partly project forwards in a substantially horizontal direction or depend into the vessel when it is in its horizontal position, and in that the carrier means are adapted to be compulsorily guided, during the pivotal movements of the vessel, by means of a linkage system which forms a parallelogram together with the respective pivot axes of the vessel and the carrier members, whereby the carrier members while maintaining their horizontal position are rotated upwards substantially out of the vessel at the tilting of the latter, in such a manner that the carrier members together with the boiling goods, the inset rack or the patient carried thereby becomes exposed above the lower portion of the circumference of the opening of the vessel.

in an advantageous embodiment of the invention said carrier members are comprised of one or more brackets which, when the pan, vessel or tub is in its horizontal position, are located in the vicinity of the bottom of the pan, while they are located immediately below the front edge of the vessel when it is tilted to its loading position. if then a transport carrier with boiling goods or the like placed upon a cantilever support is moved in over the front edge of the vessel and the carrier members, the boiling goods or the like (placed upon a bridge or the like) may be lifted from the transport carriage by elevating the carrier members which is brought about by further tilting of the vessel. Ordinarily this involves no problems, since hydraulic tilting is as a rule utilized for such vessels or pans.

A further characteristic feature of the invention resides therein, that the carrier members are so arranged as to be easily removed from the vessel or the like, whereby the vessel may be utilized for other purposes.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the annexed drawings which diagrammatically and as nonlimiting examples illustrate some preferred embodimerits and in which:

lFlG. l illustrates a boiling pan or vessel in end view;

MG. 2 illustrates, in the same way as FlG. l a second ernbodiment of a boiling vessel according to the invention together with a loading carriage;

FlG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the same general kind as that of MG. 2;

H6. 4i illustrates a modification of the assembly shown in FlG. 3;

lFlG. E5 is an end view, of a boiling pan according to a fifth embodiment of the invention in loading position;

FlG. s illustrates the boiling pan of FIG. 5 in its normal operating position;

FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the boiling pan of H68. b and 6;

MG. 8 illustrates a bathtub to which the invention is applied, and an associated carriage;

H6. 9 illustrates a modification of the bathtub according to lFlG. 8 in its tilted loading position; and

HG. lltl illustrates the bathtub according to H6. 9 in its normal horizontal position.

Referring now to the drawings ll designates a boiling pan or vessel which has a substantially parallelipipedical form and an inclined front panel 2 and a bottom 3 which is provided with a drain cock 4. The pan is rotatably journaled in two shanks 5 on the shaft 6 which is carried by the framework 7 having a rear wall it. Alternatively the framework may have the form of brackets secured to and carried by a wall. The pan may be tilted on the axis s to the inclined position indicated in dash'dot lines. The rotation of the pan from its lastmentioned position to a horizontal position is carried out by means of a hydraulic ram mechanism while the tilting of the pan to its inclined position is brought about by the weight of the pan. From the upper portion of the framework a pair of carrier members 9 project, which carry a rack or cage of profile iron with upper members 16 embracing the carriers 9, and vertical parts 17 and strips or shelves for boiling goods 18 or boiling boxes 19. A convex cover 10 having a top panel 12 and a front panel 11 is rotatably journaled on the bearing shaft 6, so that the cover by means of the grip 13 may be laid down over the pan when the latter is in either its horizontal or in its tilted position. Part of the cover in its raised position is indicated with dash-dot lines.

The amount of water which is required for water boiling and which is preferably preheated, may remain in the pan in its lower, tilted position, i.e. the loading position. Alternatively, the entire structure may be made transportable and then being provided with wheels 24 as is indicated in dash-dot-dot lines.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified embodiment in which a shelf rack which has upper members 16, vertical members 17 and a bottom member 18 which is provided with a roller track 26 is pushed in over and suspended by the carriers 9. From a loading carriage 27 having a lateral member 29, wheels 24 and a roller track 26 which is provided at its supporting top member 28, a plurality of boiling boxes 19 stacked on each other are pushed over onto the roller track of the shelf rack. ln this case as well as when boiling boxes are individually inserted in the shelf rack it is possible to utilize so called continuous boiling by introducing and extracting the boiling box stacks at certain time intervals.

FlG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a shelf rack 16, 17, 18 with boiling boxes or baskets 19 is pushed forward over the boiling pan or vessel while the latter is in its lower, tilted position. The shelf rack is supported by the carrier members 20 of the transportable carriage 27 which has lateral posts 21, a bottom member 23, wheels 24 and a grip 25. Subsequently the boiling pan or vesel may be raised by means of the hydraulic ram to its horizontal boiling position, in which the cover 12 may be laid down over the pan 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bathtub 51 which is suspended in frame means 58 which is connected to the journaled shaft 6 which is in its turn carried by two lateral stands 7 having adjustable legs 7B and at least one cross beam 7C. The bathtub may be raised from its lower loading position shown in dash-dot lines, to its upper, horizontal operating position, which is shown in solid lines, by means of a (hydraulic or pneumatic) lifting means (not shown) which is controlled by means of a valve 31 and a lever 32. H1 and H2 indicate the lower and the higher positions respectively of the upper front edge of the bathtub. A carriage 27 which is carried by wheels and has the shape of a so-called bath carriage comprising two vertical posts 21 with cross beams 33 is provided with four wheels 24, two of which are provided on two jibs 23. A locking means comprising a catch 27 which is fastened to the stand at 28 may be provided at 30 on the jib 23 to permit connection of the carriage to the stands 7.

To the members 21 of the bath carriage are rigidly connected a pair of carrier members 61 and 62. The supports 63 carry a bath stretcher 26. The two carrier members may be united my means of crossbeams like those interconnecting the lateral members of the carriage. As is evident from FIG. 4 the carrier members 61, 62 as well as support 63 for the bath stretcher 26 and a patient resting thereupon is embraced by the bathtub I when the latter is in its horizontal position, in such a manner that the patient is substantially immersed in the preheated bathing water in the tub.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a further modified embodiment of the invention and illustrates a boiling pan 31 which has a substantially parallelipipedical shape and is provided with a steam jacket 32. Conduits for steam and condensate, and further known fittings are not disclosed. The pan or vessel with its upper edge or rim 33 is provided with bearing cars 35 which are journaled on the tilting shaft 36 carried by the framework 37. By means of the (hydraulic) ram 45 the pan 31 which is presumed to contain water almost up to the lower portion of the upper rim 33 has been tilted to its loading position. At the higher portion of the upper rim two bearing members 38 are provided for a movable shaft 39 to which two carrier members 40 are removably or permanently attached. These carrier members are maintained in their horizontal position by means of a linkage system comprising a link 41 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 39 and is in its turn at 42 articulated to the link 43 which is pivotally connected to the framework 37 at 44. The points (or axes) 39, 42, 44 and 36 (the tilting axis of the pan) form a parallelogram.

An inset rack having upper members 46, vertical members 47 and shelves or ribs 48 which carry boiling baskets'or boxes 49 is pushed forward onto the carrier members 40 in such a manner, that the latter maintain the inset rack in its horizontal position. A cover having a top panel 50, a front panel 51 and a grip 52 is pivoted on the shaft 39 and is provided with recesses for the carrier members 40. In the position shown the cover encloses that part of the inset rack which protrudes from the pan. ln the illustrated position it is possible to load the inset rack 46, 47, 48 with boiling boxes when the cover has been elevated. in this position the pan may be used for steam boiling or warm-holding with the cover laid down.

For water boiling the pan is tilted downwards to its horizontal position as is shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 illustrates a somewhat differing embodiment in which the carrier members 40 are connected to pivot pins 39 located in two pressure-tight bearing boxes 39A in the lateral sides of the boiling pan. The cover 50, 51 which is provided with a gasket 53 is pivoted on a shaft 54 passing through two bearing brackets 38A on the pan. The cover may be provided with means (not shown) for locking it to the pan, possibly for overpressure boiling.

Furthermore, there is illustrated an electric heater 55, the supply leads of which may pass through the shaft 49, and a corresponding heater 56 which is located under the top panel of the cover whereby heat from above as well as from below may be supplied to the goods contained in the boiling or roasting space which is formed when the cover is laid down.

FIG. 8 is an end view of a bathtub 71 which is rotatably journaled on bearing studs 73 in each of two frameworks 75 having adjustable tube legs 76 and crossbeams 77 interconnecting the frameworks, by means of cars 74 projecting from supporting members 72. By means of the (hydraulic) ram 78 it is possible to tilt the tub a little further than to the position shown. The horizontal position of the bathtub is indicated in dash-dot lines. H1 and H2 indicate the level of the upper front edge of the bathtub in its tilted and horizontal position respectively. 79 indicates a drain cock. Alternatively the bathtub may have its pivot axis located nearer one of the upper longitudinal edges of the bathtub.

ln open bearing means 80 there is provided a pivot shaft 81 which is associated with a linkage system 82, 83, 84, 85 substantially as previously described. From the shaft 81 there project two carrier members 86 having horizontal portions 86A. In FIG. 8 there is further illustrated a transport carriage 90 comprising two stands 91 united by means of crossbeams 92 and provided. with four link rollers 93. The carriage 90 has a pair of cantilever supporting members 94 on which a bath stretcher rests. When the carriage has been advanced so that its cantilever supporting members 94 project over the inclined bathtub 71 and its supports 86A, it is possible to lift the bath stretcher 95 from the members by additional tilting of the bathtub, whereby the carrier members 86 and the supports 86A are elevated and brought into engagement with the stretcher. Then, the carriage is withdrawn. After that the bathtub has been rotated to its horizontal position and the patient has been bathed, the stretcher may be placed upon the transport carriage 90 through the lowering of the carrier members 86 and the supports 86A subsequent to the tilting of the bathtub to its loading position and the advancement of the transport carriage to a position in which its cantilever supporting members 94 are located under the bath stretcher on the carrier members 86 and the supports 86A.

in respect of the framework of the vessel, pan or tub it may alternatively be of the bracket type, i.e. be adapted to be secured to a wall. For certain applications it is conceivable to make the entire structure movable, wheels being substituted for the legs 76 (FIG. 8).

With respect to the carrier members 86, and the supports 86A integral therewith they may be either rigidly secured to the pivot shaft 81 or be pivoted to the shaft in such a manner, that they can not be tilted downwards from the horizontal position of their portions 86A but can be rotated upwards manually, in which latter position they may be removable from the shaft. This is of advantage when the vessel shall be cleaned or used without the carrier members, etc.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are end views of a modification of the embodiment according to P16. 8 and illustrate the structure according to the invention with the vessel in its tilted position and in its horizontal position respectively. The embodiment according to FIGS. 9 and 10 comprises a framework lldd with two lateral posts 101 which are interconnected by means of a plurality of crossbars 102. The bathtub M13 is hingedly connected to the posts 101 on pivot studs MM and is also supported by a pair of hydraulic rams 105 which may be coupled to the tap water system and operated with water therefrom. They are connected to the bathtub and to the posts 101 in the pivot points 106 and 107 respectively. The structure also includes a carrier member which is comprised of two lateral members 108 which are interconnected by means of crossbars 109. Each lateral member has a portion in the form of an inverted U the shanks of which are designated 110 and 111, and a horizontal extension 112 which forms a continuation of the shank 111. The shanks 11d of the lateral members lldtl are hingedly connected to the posts 161 by means of links 11 1 and 115 which are pivoted to the posts 101 on pivot axis 116 and 117 respectively, and to the shanks 110 on the pivot axes 11d and 119 respectively. The link 114 has a (preferably telescopically adjustable) extension 120 which ends in a roller 121 which, at least in the tilted position according to FIG. 9, is in engagement with the underside of the lateral portion 122 of the rim which defines the opening of the bathtub.

1n the loading position according to HG. i a patient may be transferred from a transport carriage, which is associated with the structure, in the same way as is illustrated in and described with reference to H6. 8. After the transfer of the patient and withdrawal of the carriage the bathtub may be lifted, Le. pivoted on the axis 104 by means of the ram 1115. During this pivotal movement the rollers 121 roll along the tracks formed by the rims 122 so that the links 114, 115 are rotated counterclockwise and the carrier member 103, 109 is lowered to the position according to FIG. 10.

The embodiments described above and illustrated in the annexed drawings are, of course, to be regarded merely as nonlimiting examples and may as to their details be modified in several ways within the scope of the following claims. in particular, new embodiments may be created by combining features taken from different ones of the embodiments disclosed.

lclaim:

1. A top loaded vessel for a heatable liquid and having an opening for receiving objects to be immersed comprising a framework to which the vessel is tiltably connected for movement from a horizontal position to a tilting position and from said tilting position to said horizontal position, a carrier member, and a support for objects to be immersed in said liquid in said vessel and carried by said carrier member which is located on a higher level than said support, in which said vessel, said carrier member and said support are arranged and associated with each other in such a manner that on the one hand said support and all objects supported by said support and about to become immersed, in the tilted loading position of the vessel, are located vertically above the liquid in the ves' sel and entirely above the lower edge of said opening, said lower edge in said position being located on a higher level than a predetermined fraction of the internal volume of the vessel,

and on the other hand said support and said objects supported by said support, in the horizontal position of said vessel, can be substantially completely immersed in that amount of liquid in the horizontal vessel which equals said fraction of said volume.

2. A vessel according to claim 1, in which said support is an inset rack.

3. A vessel according to claim 2, which vessel is horizontally loadable when it is tilted less than 45 from its horizontal position.

A vessel according to claim 2, in which said rack is provided with a roller track which is located above and adjacent to the inner bottom of the vessel when the latter is in its horizontal position and located on a higher level than said lower edge in the tilted position of said vessel.

5. A vessel according to claim 1, in which said vessel is associated with a transport carriage having a supporting member for said objects to be immersed, said supporting member being located on a level above said edge of the vessel when the latter is in its tilted position. 1

6. A vessel according to claim 5, in which said support is an inset rack, which is provided with a roller track which is located above and adjacent to the inner bottom of the vessel when the latter is in its horizontal position and located on a higher level than said lower edge in the tilted position of said vessel; and said carriage has a roller track located on the same level as the roller track of the rack, said tracks being interconnectable to facilitate the transfer of immersion goods from one track to the other.

7. A vessel according to claim 5, in which said carrier member is of the cantilever type and is attached to said carriage.

8. A vessel according to claim 1, in which said carrier member is of the cantilever type and is attached to said framework.

9. A vessel according to claim 8, in which said carrier member is movable along a substantially vertical circular are.

111. A vessel according to claim 1, in which said carrier member is of the cantilever type and is attached to said vessel.

11. A top loaded vessel for a heatable liquid comprising a framework to which the vessel is tiltably connected a carrier member, and a support for objects to be immersed in said liquid in said vessel and carried by said carrier member which is located on a higher level than the support, in which said framework comprises two lateral portions located adjacent to two opposite portions of said vessel, and said carrier member comprises two lateral portions located adjacent to a respective one of said two opposite portions of the vessel, and in which each of said lateral portions of the carrier member is hingedly. connected to the adjacent lateral portion of the framework by a parallelogram linkage system having two of its corners located on a lateral portion of said framework and at least one of its corners on a lateral portion of said carrier member in such a way that the carrier member, while maintaining its angular position with respect to said framework, is compulsorily lifted, substantially out of the vessel at the tilting thereof.

12. A vessel according to claim 11, in which each lateral portion of the carrier member has the form of an inverted U having part of one of its shanks located in the vessel, and said support forms a substantially horizontal continuation of said shank and is located above the bottom of said vessel, and in which the other shank of said inverted U-shaped portions is connected to said framework by means of two spaced links which are pivoted to the framework and are hingedly connected to the lastmentioned shank and form part of said parallelogram linkage system, together with that portion of the lastmentioned shank which is located between said links.

13. A vessel according to claim 12 comprising an extension of one of said links, and a track which is arranged on the outside of said vessel, the end of the extension being in engagement with and movable along said track as the vessel is tilted, for compulsorily rotating said linkage system to elevate or lower said carrier member and said support.

M. A vessel according to claim 13, in which said end is comprised of a rotatable roller.

17. A vessel according to claim 1, comprising power means for rotating said vessel.

18. A structure according to claim 17, in which said power means is a ram which is connectable to a tap water system and actuatable by tap water therefrom. 

